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9. Film and Film Development

FOR high-priced cameras, roll and 35mm, we depend largely on either Japan or Germany. This is inconsistent in a country that produces the finest film and uses the most of it. But the film facts remain: just name your film needs and we've got it, both in variety and quality, labeled U.S.A. (With this I'll take a precautionary step backward to avoid the brickbats from Adox and Ilford converts.)

All major film manufacturers offer some films that can be used for candid weddings. Ansco has Supreme and Superpan Press. Kodak has all that we can use and in all film sizes from very high speed Royal-X Pan for sheet film, to Tri-X or Royal Pan (exposure index 200-160) through medium-speed (ex­posure index 80-64) excellent contrast Verichrome Pan or Plus-X down to Panatomie-X (exposure index 25-20) whose ultrafine-grain, high resolution and thin emulsion are capable of producing superlative image quality.

Whatever the make of film you choose, if it's a name brand (domestic or foreign) the manufacturer will not let you down. But, if photography is your livelihood or an important money maker, the purchase of each material cannot become a project. The hackneyed expression, "Time is money," holds true. Film (and other supplies) for our "bread and butter" work should be simple to buy. And in this country, that usually means either from Eastman or Ansco. My personal choice in film for a long time has been:

4x5: Tri-X Film Pack, or Royal Pan Sheet Film with a 60- to 80-watt second electronic flash. (You will need this film speed for partial-bounce and electronic flash. At 12 feet your lens opening will be f/4.5, with a 60-watt-second unit, and f/7 with an 80-watt-second unit. Kodak's Super Panchro-Press, Type B, or Verichrome Pan (film pack only) with No. 5 bulb or 100-watt-second (or stronger) electronic flash.

120 or 620: Tri-X with a 60- to 80-watt-second electronic flash unit. Veri­chrome Pan with a 100-watt-second unit or a No. 5 bulb.

35-tnm Plus-X for all flash. Tri-X with available light (forced develop­ment). Quality-wise and contrast-wise I prefer it to the faster British Ilford HPS. You may have a different preference and you should experiment, of course, with faster films as they are released. Panatomic-X is a sensitive prima donna. Its fine image quality depends on accurate exposures   (within safety factor). Extended development produces excessive contrast. Other than for formals (indoor or outdoor) or in other situations where care can be taken, I would forget Panatomic-X or any of the thin-emulsion ultra-fine grain films. However if Panatomic-X is used, D-76 will give good results. Microdol has a tendency to dissolve the periphery of each grain, giving fine grain, but an illusion of slightly less sharpness than is expected from this film. With other fine-grain, thin-emulsion films, I have found that a compensating developer like FR's X-22 really does preserve fine grain, high resolution and good gradation.

Other Comments

Royal Pan film has the same speed and characteristics as Tri-X film pack, though not the same developing times. Plus-X and Verichrome Pan have the same tonal characteristics as the faster Tri-X though more contrast, and pro­vide better shadow detail. In the Kodak products, do not confuse the Type B, Tri-X film pack with the older, Type C, Tri-X sheet film. They are not the same.

Repeated use of the same materials and equipment is a good practice. Shooting a candid need not be nerve wracking it you know exactly what your film, flash and camera can do. A photographer can not do justice to posing, facial expressions or to exposing the truly candid shots at the right moment if the mechanical aspects of taking a picture are not automatic.

Film Development

Unfortunately, there is no one ideal contrast for candid wedding nega­tives. Contrast must be adjusted to suit subject matter, lighting, locale and your particular enlarging system. (See Chapter 10 on Enlargers and Printing.) Candids present us with a difficult challenge. Included in almost every photo are two extremes: the white of the bridal gown and the black of hair or male attire, with the off-whites of flesh tones somewhere in-between.

Ordinarily a negative on the soft side would be the answer but straight flash is flat and some overdevelopment is needed with full-length figures to avoid muddy flesh tones. As a rule, this favoring of flesh tones will produce whites that are slightly chalky. One practical way to control this incompati­bility is with a variable contrast paper of which DuPont's Varigam is the pioneer. Softness and detail can be introduced by burning-in the whites through a No. 3 filter (equal to a No. 1 paper contrast).

Unlike straight flash, partial bounce (see illustration 5) poses no process­ing problem. Softness, modeling and shadow detail are characteristic of this light. Developing film 30 percent more than for straight flash causes flesh tones, the whites and the blacks all to fall into a harmonious relationship. Straight printing and burning-in on a No. 2 paper, or with Varigam and no filter, will produce an excellent print.

Locale also plays an important part in deciding the length of film devel­opment. Flash, in large areas such ls churches and halls (generally all shots over 15 feet) requires 30 percent more development than straight flash (up to 12 feet). This provides enough contrast for printing on a No. 2 paper.

The contention may be voiced that all film can be developed for one time, and contrast controlled by softer or harder papers. This method may leave us out on a limb in case of accidental over- or under-exposure, or over- or under-development. We are not as secure as the man whose exposures are intended for a No. 2 paper, and is thereby protected by the bracketing contrast grades of No. 0, 1, 3, and 4 papers, and. sometimes by No. 5.

Admittedly, it is difficult, even with sheet film, to develop every exposure of a candid so it will print on a No. 2 paper. With roll film it is often imprac­tical if not impossible. But the closer we stay to the No. 2 grade the easier it will be to handle this most difficult expression of photography—the candid wedding story.

How to Develop Film in Quantity

When I used 4x5 film, I developed 50 to 120 negatives at one time using a gallon of fresh developer. In candids, negative development of sheet film with hangers is safe though time consuming. The tray method I employed is a rapid way of processing from one "to two entire candid weddings in less than one half an hour. For me, it has proved as safe as hanger developing. To get the "feel" I suggest buying some outdated sheet film and film packs and going through the complete process with the lights on.

This is how it's done. Use 3 oval trays or baby baths about 18x15x5 inches. Place them side by side. Starting from the left, fill the first with exactly one gallon of water. Add 1 capful of Kodak Wetting agent (it is the wetting agent that keeps the film from sticking). Behind this tray place a wide-mouthed bottle with a gallon of (undiluted) DK-50, and an 8x10 tray of water containing V\ capful of wetting agent.

In the second oval tray prepare a gallon and a half of short stop. In the third oval tray place about a gallon and a half of hypo. The water with wetting agent and the developer must be at 68F. The short stop and hypo can vary within 4 degrees either way.

You will need two timers and a Kodak Safelight filter (Wratten Series 3, dark green). Though not essential, the safelight allows three or four brief in­spections after development is half completed! and will be of help when time comes to transfer film from developer tray to short stop and later hypo. So if your film (say, Royal Pan) was exposed by electronic flash set one timer for two minutes and one for nine and a half.

Now put out the lights and place your two boxes of film—one with all the straight flash shots (made under 12 feet) and all synchro-sunlight pictures; the other with those of the church, reception, mirror shots, large group pic­tures and partial bounce—to the left of the first tray. Keep the film face down (easier to pick up and to avoid fingerprints).

Now one by one put all the straight-flash house and small group shots (made under 12 feet) into the water of the 8x10 tray. Rock for one minute. In the same manner put the rest of film from the other box into the large oval tray with water. Rock for one minute and a half then push the film to one end of the tray. Start both clocks. Pour the gallon of stock developer into the end of the oval tray away from the film, and rock actively, frequently changing directions until the first timer rings. Then, all at once, pick up the film from the 8x10 tray and drop it into the developer. Continue active rocking for one more minute then settle down to a moderate pace. During the entire develop­ing your other hand keeps feeling for film that might climb up the sides of the tray (this seldom occurs with sheet film) and also gently pushes all the film circle-wise. Now and then move one finger along the bottom of the tray and let the film tap against it. When the second bell rings, push your developer tray against the short stop tray. Turn on your safelight. Pick up the firm, all at once if possible, and dump it into the short stop. Then turn off the safe-light. Use the same agitation method as in developing, for two minutes, then finally put the film into the hypo and agitate for four minutes.

Turn on the light. (Don't look at the film, but at your hair—it might be white!) Relax! If you've kept your fingernails to yourself you'll have a batch of beautiful negatives. Agitate in hypo five more minutes. Wash for ten min­utes, using a Kodak Syphon or similar tray-type washer. Proceed to hang the film, but meanwhile, keep the water running. If the wash water is hard add an eyedropper full of wetting agent every two minutes. Do not sponge or wipe the film. From start to wash water this method takes less than 30 minutes.

A word of caution; Limit yourself to fifty films for the first ten times you develop, then, if you wish, add three or four films each time until you reach seventy-five (or even one hundred) and call it quits. (Later, for fifty films, you will find yourself working with half a gallon of water and half a gallon of developer.) How far can you go? I don't know, I normally developed about 120 sheet film and film pack exposures mixed—two candid weddings. However, I've been doing tray development for ten years; I don't own a hanger.

Developing Times with DK-50 (1:1) (Continuous Agitation—Tray) 68 Degrees F

Film                                Light                                 Time    Time
Straight flash:                                                       Church,reception
House & formals                                                  mirror & partial-
(made under 12 feet);                                             bounce (shots
also synchro-sunlight                                               over 12 feet)
Royal Pan                 Electronic  Flash                  7½min.   9½ min.
Tri-X film pack            "                                   7½min.            9½min.
Royal Pan                No.   5   flashbulb             7    min.          9    min.
Tri-X film pack                                                7    min.           9    min.
The reader may wonder at the identical developing times for Tri-X film pack and Royal Pan sheet film when normally Tri-X requires 2 minutes more with tray development and undiluted developer. Film pack emulsions have a protective coating to prevent abrasion as the film is drawn through the maga­zine. This coating resists the developer. Prewetting dissolves the coating and developing action takes place about as fast as with sheet film.

Developing by Inspection

Developing by inspection is a phase of photography that is indispensable to the available light photographer. Even in the course of everyday shooting a situation sometimes arises that leaves us in doubt as to the accuracy of our exposure. It is a comfort to know that you can look at the film during devel­opment and see "what's cooking." The simple solution, and in liquid form, is provided by the tongue twister pinakryptol green, or by the more easily pro­nounced Kodak Desensitizer. Essentially both serve the same purpose and instructions come with either product. There is nothing complicated to de-sensitization.

Prior to developing, soak your film in either of these desensitizers for a few minutes. The film can now be inspected during the course of development by regular paper safelight with pinakryptol green and by a Wratten Series 7 (light green) Safelight with the Kodak product. The pinakryptol green has a tendency to lengthen the developing time—with some developers as much as 50 percent. Kodak Desensitizer does not have this effect. For this reason I prefer the Kodak product.

Using it, practice desensitizing film which you know has been properly exposed and is to be developed by time and temperature. See what happens to this film during development and you will learn what to look for when the necessity arises for developing film by inspection alone. In time, when you have become proficient enough to limit yourself to three short 5-10 second inspections between halfway and full development points, change to a Wratten Series No. 3 and forget the desensitizer.

50. The light from a cloudy day coming through the window in the hack-ground provided the illumination for this semi-silhouetted formal. (A com­pletely different effect would have been obtained if supplementary flash had been used.) For this, a meter reading was taken from the shadow side of the gown. The 4x5 Royal-X Pan film was exposed at 1/25 and f/4.7. The film was tray developed for 9 minutes in DK-50. (Busch Pressman camera.)

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